St. Paul`s Episcopal Cathedral Interior Tour

The present St. Paul’s Episcopal church evolved from a wooden church on the same site. The 1821 building was the first permanent church building in Buffalo. When the congregation outgrew the wooden church, a building committee was formed to erect a new church. Noted architect Richard Upjohn was chosen to design what was to become Buffalo’s first architectural landmark. Construction began in 1850.  In May of 1888, there was a gas explosion and fire that destroyed the interior of the Medina sandstone building but the stone walls remained solid. Architect Robert Gibson took charge of repairing and reconstructing the damaged building. 

The interior tour will highlight the stained glass windows. Three distinct styles of stained glass will be viewed: Gothic/Gothic revival, Munich Pastoral and Tiffany/American Opalescence. 

St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral is located at 139 Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo. Available parking includes street parking along Pearl, Swan, and other nearby streets; parking lots on Pearl Street; and nearby parking ramps including the Main Place Ramp across Church Street. Meet for the tour at the Cathedral’s Pearl Street entrance.

Check in 9:45am

Tour Procedures & Policies: 

• Reservations are required for all tours, including for Explorer Pass members. Walk-ups without reservations cannot be accommodated. Tours are generally limited to a maximum of 15 people per group. 
  • Reservations close two hours before the tour’s scheduled start time (for example, reservations close at 8am for a 10am tour). 
  • To redeem an orange Explore Buffalo walking tour pass, please email [email protected] at least 24 hours in advance to reserve your tour. 
  • The Explore Buffalo docent for your tour will have a list of tour reservations for their tour; you do not need to print or bring any tour confirmation. 
• Accessibility: Please contact us at [email protected] or (716) 245-3032 if you plan to attend this tour and will require accommodations or if you have questions about accessibility. 
• Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. In the event of weather that requires a tour cancellation, we will contact registered tour guests in advance of the tour. 
• See our FAQs page for our refund policy and answers to other questions.
• By confirming your reservation for any Explore Buffalo tour, you acknowledge and accept Explore Buffalo’s tour policies.